With the world of small business finance changing so quickly, who can stay on top of it all? Here at Credibly, we sift through hundreds of blogs, news alerts, and emerging Fintech trends every day, selecting the most important industry updates so you don’t have to. Here’s the financial news that caught our attention this week.

The Rivalry Myth: Big Banks and Alternative Lenders Work Together for SMEs by Credibly CEO Glenn Goldman, FinanceMagnates.com
“The notion that traditional lending is dying — that banks are out and alternative lenders are in — is one of the great myth-busting opportunities in financial services today. More and more, the two sides are working in tandem to serve the capital needs of small business owners, driven by their own particular strengths…”

Small-Business Owners Devise Creative Ways to Keep Workers by Kathleen Murray, New York Times
“In a June 2015 survey by the National Federation of Independent Business, 80 percent of employers reported they had difficulty finding, or could not find, the talent they needed. Even when they do find it, said Holly Wade, director of research for the organization, ‘issues come into play when small businesses can’t afford some of the bells and whistles bigger employers can.’”

5 Marketing Changes Small Businesses Need to Make in 2016 by Sujan Patel, Entrepreneur
“The upcoming year promises to be a game changer for small business marketing, especially those who have largely skated by with the help of social-media marketing and a decent referral network in place. Indeed, there are a number of immediate changes small businesses can — and should — make if they want to see skyrocketing growth and success in 2016.”

Good News: U.S. Economy Adds Another 211,000 Jobs by Patrick Gillespie, CNN Money
“This month’s jobs report is very important for the Federal Reserve. The Fed’s committee meets in December 15-16, and it could raise its key interest rate for the first time in nearly a decade. Rates have been stuck at zero since the financial crisis in 2008 in an effort to boost the economy. That stimulus no longer looks necessary.”

Five Takeaways From Ted Cruz’s Conversation With Small Business Owners by Kent Hoover, The Business Journals
“‘Tax reform and regulatory reform are “the two most important levers Washington has to help small businesses grow and thrive and prosper,’ Cruz said. He favors a 10 percent flat tax for individuals, but a family of four would pay no taxes — including payroll taxes — on their first $36,000 of income. The tax would be so simple that individuals could fill out their taxes on a postcard, he said.”

The 7 Most Spectacular PR Fails of 2015 by Tess Townsend, Inc.
“Volkswagen in September admitted it had intentionally installed software to cheat on emissions tests, after the EPA had determined cars on the road were emitting several times the amount of pollutants allowed by law. The discrepancy impacted almost 500,000 cars, and VW is still doing damage control in what has been dubbed one of the biggest auto industry scandals ever.”